Putting practice device and its method of use

ABSTRACT

A putting practice device and method for its use that assists a golfer to properly align his or her body and putter, in relation to the ball and the hole or target. The putting practice aid includes a flat mirrored surface, a hole in the middle to holding a golf ball in place, and two perpendicular lines running through its center printed on one side. The golfer uses the perpendicular lines, according to a method, to properly align his or her body and clubface to the hole or target.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed toward a device and method to improvea golfer's putting, by helping a golfer to properly align his or herbody and clubface to his or her golf ball in relation to a target.

2. Description of the Related Art

U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,968, to Port, has an issue date of May 4, 2004. Theinvention is directed toward a putting training aid and puttercalibration device to use on a putting surface, which includes ahorizontal calibrated bar with a linear centered scale and a parallelcalibration block having an oblique face and set on the practice puttingsurface below and offset from the horizontal calibrated bar. Alsoprovided is a linear scale decal which is applied to a putter shaft. Thedevice is designed to align the putter head to proper lie and neutralloft so that the face is square to the intended target line and to teachthe golfer the proper grip, stance, alignment of the golfer, alignmentof the club and proper putting stroke.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a device and methodto help a golfer align his or her body and clubface into the properposition, in relation to the ball and the hole, when putting.

This aspect can be attained by a device and a method to use with thedevice, which includes an alignment device featuring a mirrored planarsurface, a first straight line running through a center of the mirroredplanar surface and a second straight line, perpendicular to the first,running through the center of the mirrored planar surface. The mirroredplanar surface having a circular opening at its center to hold a golfball.

This aspect can also be attained by a method using the device describedabove that includes placing an alignment device on a ground andcentering it over a spot from which the golf ball is to be putted. Thedevice is then rotated so that the first straight line runs along thedesired line the golf ball is to travel to the target. A golf ball isplaced in the circular opening and the golfer stands over the ball as ifhe or she were going to putt it. The golfer then uses the device to movehis or her feet, head, and clubface into the proper position. Thegolfer's foot that is closest to the target is placed parallel to thesecond line with the instep of this foot just outside of the ball. Thegolfer then moves his or her head into the proper position by lookinginto the mirrored planar surface so that he or she can see his or hereyes behind the ball, in relation to the target, with the first straightline passing through the center of both eyes. The putter is then movedso that the clubface is parallel to the second straight line, and theball is between the putter and the target. Lastly, the ball is putted bymoving the putter over the first straight line toward the ball.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as thestructure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention,will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the followingdescription of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a top view of a golfing alignmentdevice, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating a top view of a golfing alignmentdevice with a golf ball removably mounted onto it, according to anembodiment;

FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating a side view of a golfing alignmentdevice with a golf ball removably mounted onto it, according to anembodiment;

FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating a top view of the golfing alignmentdevice being used by a golfer to align his or her feet to the ball,according to an embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating a top view of the golfing alignmentdevice being used by a golfer to align his or her head to the ball,according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating a top view of the golfing alignmentdevice being used by a golfer to align his or her putter to the ball,according to an embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferredembodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to likeelements throughout.

A common problem among golfers is the failure to have their body andclub in the proper position, with relation to the hole, when lining upto hit a golf ball. This problem becomes more acute when a golfer isputting because the margin of error is quite small relative to longergolf shots. A golfer's alignment error of only a few degrees, withregard to either his or her body or clubface relative to the hole, canresult in a putt being significantly off-line. This device and methodcan provide the golfer several lines of reference to use whendetermining where to stand, how to properly position his or her head,and how to properly align his or her clubface.

FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a top view of a golfing alignmentdevice, according to an embodiment.

An alignment device 100 can be used to improve a golfer's putting byaligning a golfer and his or her clubface to his or her golf ball inrelation to a hole when putting. The alignment device 100 can be made ofplastic, wood, glass or other suitable material known to one of ordinaryskill in the art. The device 100 can be planar and can be comprised of acircular opening 101, located in a center of the device 100, which canbe of a suitable size to removably mount a golf ball. The device 100 canbe comprised of a first straight line 103 running through the center ofthe device 100 and a second straight line 104, perpendicular to thefirst straight line 103, which also can run through the center of thedevice 100.

FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating a top view of a golfing alignmentdevice with a golf ball removably mounted onto it, according to anembodiment.

A golf ball 201 can be removably mounted onto a circular opening (notpictured) of an alignment device 200.

FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating a side view of a golfing alignmentdevice with a golf ball removably mounted onto it, according to anembodiment.

A golf ball 301 can be removably mounted into a circular opening (notpictured) of an alignment device 300 by placing the golf ball 301 ontothe circular opening (not pictured).

FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating a top view of the golfing alignmentdevice.

The alignment device 400 can assist a golfer to properly align his orher feet by providing an alignment reference to the golfer. A firststraight line 403 can be pointed to a hole 406. A second straight line404 can provide a reference to the golfer if he or she imagines thesecond straight line 404 projecting past the alignment device 400 andrunning between the golfer's feet. The golfer can then adjust his or herfront foot 401, which is the foot closest to the hole 406, so that it isparallel to the second straight line 404, and the instep 405 of thegolfer's front foot 401 is just outside of the golf ball 402.

FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating a top view of the golfing alignmentdevice being used by a golfer to align his or her head to the ball,according to an embodiment.

The alignment device 500 can have a mirrored planar surface 501 whichcan allow the golfer to see his or her reflection 502 in the mirroredplanar surface 501. The mirrored planar surface 501 can have a firststraight line 503 drawn on it. The golfer can then move his or her headso that the line runs through the middle of both of his or her eyes inthe reflection 502, and the golfers reflection 502 is behind the golfball 504.

FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating a top view of the golfing alignmentdevice being used by a golfer to align his or her putter to the ball,according to an embodiment.

The alignment device 600 can be used to properly align a golfer's putter601 to the ball 602, relative to the hole 603. The clubface of theputter 601 can be positioned so that it is parallel to a second straightline 605. A center 606 of the clubface can be moved along a firststraight line 607 when striking the ball 602.

The second side of the alignment device, which may not have anymarkings, can be used by a golfer to align himself or herself withoutthe benefit of the markings. This feature can allow the golfer to makethe transition from using the first side of the device to align himselfor herself to eventually being able to properly align himself or herselfwithout the benefit of the alignment device.

The alignment device can be a compact disc with markings on it asdescribed. A reflective surface can be present on either or both sides.The compact disc can be stored in a standard compact disc case when notin use.

The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from thedetailed specification and, thus, it is intended by the appended claimsto cover all such features and advantages of the invention that fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, sincenumerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilledin the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exactconstruction and operation illustrated and described, and accordinglyall suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, fallingwithin the scope of the invention.

1. A device to align a golfer's body and club with his or her golf ballwhen putting, the device comprising: a planar surface having a firstside and a second side; the mirrored first side further comprising afirst straight line running through a center of the planar surface; thefirst side further comprising a second straight line running through thecenter of the planar surface, the second straight line beingperpendicular to the first straight line; an opening at the center ofthe planar surface to hold a golf ball; and first or second lines beingused to align the center of the eyes of the golfer behind the ball. 2.(canceled)
 3. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein the planar surfaceis a compact disc.
 4. A device as recited in claim 2, wherein the secondside comprises no lines.
 5. A device as recited in claim 3, wherein thesecond side comprises no lines.
 6. A method to determine the optimalalignment of a golfer's body and club to his or her golf ball whenputting comprising: placing an alignment device on a ground comprising;a planar surface, having a mirrored first side and a mirrored secondside; the first side further comprising a first straight line runningthrough a center of the planar surface and a second straight linerunning through the center of the planar surface, the second straightline being perpendicular to the first straight line, and an opening atthe center of the planar surface to hold a golf ball; centering thealignment device over a spot where the golf ball is to be putted from;turning the alignment device so that the first straight line runs alonga desired path that the golf ball is to travel to the target; placingthe golf ball in the opening; placing a golfer's foot, that is closestto the target, parallel to the second line, with an instep of saidgolfer's foot just outside of the ball; looking into the mirrored,planar surface in a way that he or she can see their eyes behind theball with the first straight line passing through the center of thegolfer's eyes; lining up the head of the putter parallel to the secondstraight line so the ball is between the putter and the target; andswinging a putter over the first straight line toward the ball.